How much is an uncirculated 1883 silver dollar worth?

Silver dollars minted before the Morgan silver dollar appeared were considered unimaginative and uninteresting in appearance. On the other hand, new coins were of beautiful design and original texture. They are still highly collectible and desired regardless of the year of production.

With a total mintage of 28,470,039 coins, the 1883 Morgan dollar is a common date coin. They are usually not worth much, particularly because many of them are in an inferior condition. However, you can find this dollar in grades up to MS 66, and some can be pretty expensive. Let’s take a look at 1883 Morgan silver dollar value.

Morgan Silver Dollar History

All Morgan silver dollars minted during a glorious time of American history ​have an excellent reputation among collectors. US Mint assistant engraver George T. Morgan designed this unbelievably beautiful coin in the 19th century, and the production started in 1878.

Except in the period from 1904 until 1921, when silver stocks were incredibly low, the US Mint was producing these coins for 43 years. Morgan silver dollars went into history as soon as the Peace dollar appeared at the end of 1921.

A Lady Liberty bust adorns the obverse, with a sign E PLURIBUS UNUM placed around the top rim and the mintage date centered at the bottom. You can see an American bald eagle with spread wings and a wreath that surrounds it on the reverse.

The saying IN GOD WE TRUST is written between the eagle wingtips, while the words ONE DOLLAR and the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA are spread along the rim.

1883 Morgan Silver Dollar Condition

The best option to determine 1883 Morgan silver dollar value is to check its condition. Examining the coin surface closely and thoroughly is necessary for judging the wear level that significantly affects the final price.

As soon as you find the mint mark and see if the year of production is visible, you need to look over the details. According to the results, you can classify your coin into a few categories, including:

Uncirculated 1883 Morgan silver dollar

Only a coin that was never in circulation can be in this group. It looks new, with natural toning and without any signs of wear.

The important places to check are below the Liberty’s eye, on the highest part of her cheek, and her chin’s front. You need to find the delicate texture on the surface with an original glow.

Extra fine 1883 Morgan silver dollar

Such a coin is slightly worn but still sharply defined. Details are still abundant and extremely fine. You should check the hair behind Liberty’s left ear and the blossoms above it. Even though this coin is lovely and desirable, you can see the first signs of wear in these parts.

Fine Morgan silver dollar

The coin used in everyday life for a while will lose some details on the surface. Liberty’s hair is mainly merged in such a case, and you can see only the most profound lines. Additionally, wheatears and blossoms have become outlines, but not all the details are entirely lost.

Good Morgan silver dollar

As a result of heavy wear, the entire design is reduced to only a few elements. It is an extensively worn coin without most details, so Liberty looks like an outline in low relief. If you can notice only a few flattened hair curls behind her ear, it will reduce your coin value to the price of the silver it contains.

You can find many 1883 Morgan silver dollars on the current market, including those with high grades and even uncirculated pieces. Interestingly, even MS-65 coins are not rare like Morgans minted in other years.

1883 Morgan silver dollar without a mint mark

1883 Morgan silver dollar with a face value of $1 contains 90% silver and 10% copper. Its total weight is 0.859 troy ounces (26.73 g) with a silver weight of 0.77344 troy ounces (24.05 g). Only silver this coin contains is worth $18.72. The finest known coin minted this year is MS 68.

Since its diameter is 1.5 inches (38.1 mm), there is enough place for details and reeding, while both the obverse and reverse are decorated with denticles.

One of 12,291,039 Morgan silver dollars minted in Philadelphia in 1883 without a mint mark reached an impressive $49,938 at auction.

Keep in mind that this mint also produced 1,039 proof Morgan silver dollars. They are rare and expensive, so you can expect to get $3,000 if you have one.

1883 CC Morgan silver dollar

The Carson City mint produced precisely 1,204,000 Morgan silver dollars in 1883, but it is estimated that only about 72,000 survived after melting 270 million Morgan silver dollars under the Pittman Act of 1918.

Many of these coins were 1883 CC Morgan silver dollars, making them pretty rare. The finest known pieces are MS 68, and one of them reached an auction record of $80,500.

Most 1883 CC Morgan silver dollars ended up in the Treasury Department vaults in Washington, DC. After spending years there, they were sold at auctions from the 1970s to the 1980s.

Therefore, numerous coins are in excellent condition, and most are graded MS 65 or better. Most Wild West mint admirers look for this piece to include it in their collections.

1883 O Morgan silver dollar

In 1883, the New Orleans mint produced 8,725,000 Morgan silver dollars with a mint mark on the coin reverse side, below the wreath.

Many of these coins have no damages, and experts estimate that over 10,000 MS 65 or higher grade coins survived. The finest-known coin with MS 68 grade reached an auction record of $60,000.

Unfortunately, a typical coin will probably have an unsatisfactory luster and strike. The mint often used worn-out dies, so coins made on them are granulated with visible metal flow lines.

Since you can find numerous 1883 O Morgan silver dollars available on the market, it is better to choose a well-struck coin since it is more valuable.

1883 S Morgan silver dollar

Even though the San Francisco mind produced 6,250,000 of Morgan silver dollars in 1883, they are a condition rarity. Most coins of this date were in use, and only a low amount appeared from Treasury vaults in the period from 1962 to 1964 during the  Morgan dollar disbursements.

Unfortunately, many of these coins were melted according to the 1918 Pittman Act. Since the surviving ones were roughly treated in the San Francisco mint vaults, the most common 1883 S Morgan dollars are in the MS 62 or MS 63 grade.

Uncirculated Morgan silver dollars above MS 65 are pretty expensive, and it is practically impossible to find them for less than $20,000. Take care to pick out the certified coin to avoid fraud.

1883 Morgan Silver Dollar Sextupled Star

You can find only one atypical variety of this coin, the so-called sextupled star type. It contains a hardly visible error on the stars placed on the right side of the date.

Only experts can notice shelves under the stars showing that doubling occurred six times, especially if you have a coin spending a long time in circulation. Another sign is a small die crack between the Liberty neck’s edge and the number 1 or the numbers 1 and 8 in the date.

Summary

You can quickly determine an 1883 Morgan silver dollar price based on the mint where it was produced and coin condition. Its minimal value is $23.4, but some collectors will pay a small fortune for the rarest ones in excellent condition. The most valuable are 1883 CC Morgan silver dollars in high grade.